


We've Been Down This Road Before

by gloaming



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, EXCEPT THEY CALL IT BALL BC THATS WHAT I CALL IT, Fluff, M/M, Pining, THEYRE GOING TO PROM, so im really sorry if its bad!, this is my first work!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-05
Updated: 2015-06-07
Packaged: 2018-03-21 08:33:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3685455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gloaming/pseuds/gloaming
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis doesn't want to go to prom. Harry really wants him to. Louis doesn't think that would be a good idea. Harry doesn't quite understand.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Talk - Kodaline
> 
> Hope you like it!

'So,' Niall rubbed his hands together as he looked around the group circle, 'Have any of you sad fucks found a date to the dance yet?'  
  
  
Louis snorted and closed his eyes as he flopped back onto the grass, while the rest of the boys just laughed.  
  
  
'Got something to share, Niall?' Louis could hear Zayn ask.  
  
  
Niall chuckled, ‘Fuck no, ‘m just as sad as you all’  
  
  
'I suspect Payno's well sorted what with Sophia still existing' Louis said, and Liam laughed.  
  
  
'Yeah, bit of a dumb one to ask, Niall.' Liam agreed. Liam and Sophia had been dating for almost three years, and were sickeningly cute together. If anyone had a shot at best couple this year, Liam and Sophia would blow them out of the water. They'd won the last two years, and were hell-bent to get it this year as well.  
  
  
'What about you then, Zayn?’ Harry asked, ‘Things still going strong with Perrie?' Louis opened his eyes just as Zayn leaned across and smacked Harry upside his curly head while Harry cackled.  
  
  
'Shut up, you wanker. I don't even like her that much.'  
  
  
Louis threw his head back and laughed, 'That's the biggest lie i've ever heard! You've been fawning over her since year 11!' Louis put on a thick Bradford accent, 'There's just the most amazin' girl in my food class!'  
  
  
Harry cackled again and joined in, 'She's got the biggest blue eyes, although it's hard to tell with all the eyeliner she wears!'  
  
  
'Maybe if I dye a strip of my hair my hair blond like hers, she'll realise we're soulmates!' Louis grinned as he dodged the apple being lobbed at him.  
  
  
'Oh come off it, you know we're just taking the piss. She's probably head over heels for you too.' Louis wouldn't be surprised if she was, Zayn was bloody gorgeous. His quiff and whiskey coloured eyes and cheekbones that could cut steel even had Louis crushing on him for a little while back in year 8. That is, until he found Zayn three-fingers-deep in some girl behind the school's gymnasium, and that crush had been sufficiently stifled. Turns out, stumbling onto that kind of situation broke any ice they had and they’d been best friends ever since.  
  
  
Louis stood and wandered closer to the large oak tree that they sat in the shade under while Zayn and Harry bickered light-heartedly. He grabbed one of the branches that reached out just high enough for him to stretch up and gently swing on.  
  
  
‘Well who’re you gonna take then, Harry?’ Zayn said, glaring at the youngest of the group.  
  
  
Louis watched as Harry looked over at him and felt his heart thud a little harder in his chest. ‘Louis, of course, who do you take me for?’  
  
  
_He’s joking, of course he’s joking._ Louis swallowed to make sure his voice didn’t betray anything before he spoke, ‘In your dreams, Haz. Not even you’re worth going to that shit-hole of a ball’  
  
  
Harry clutched his hand to his chest and gasped, before shrugging, ‘Not like I could even try to convince you.’  
  
  
‘I don’t even know when it is’, Louis laughed.  
  
  
They all turned to Liam.  
  
  
‘Why do you always assume that I’m going to know these things?’ He said, slightly offended.  
  
  
They continued to stare at him. He sighed, ‘The Friday after next.’  
  
  
‘Ah, so we have a bit of time!’ Niall chirped and quickly jumped to his feet, ‘Right, I’m off to find a date then.’  
  
  
He saluted as he made his way to the student common room, blond head bobbing as he walked.  
  
  
Louis didn’t understand why anyone wanted to go to that fucking thing. The theme they’d picked this year was _Winter Wonderland ___, which was quite possibly the least creative and most cliche idea they could have ever picked. He could envision the shitty fake snow all over the floor, the poorly-made snowflake garlands hanging from every surface available, and the ten million girls going as Elsa from Frozen.  
  
  
Maye he was just bitter because he had no one to go with, but, well. There was only one person he could imagine going with, and that was never going to happen. So he figured that if he avoided the abundance of cheesiness and blooming romance, then he’d be just fine.  
  
  
_It would be nice, ___he thought. But whenever he pictured himself going, it was with a gangly, green-eyed, curly haired boy on his arm.  
  
  
He caught himself staring at Harry a little forlornly. Quickly shifting his eyes to Zayn, he saw that Zayn was watching him with more than a little pity in his eyes.  
  
  
Fuck Zayn, he didn’t need his pity. Besides, he was pining just as bad over Perrie. In fact...  
  
  
‘So,’ he said, staring pointedly at Zayn, ‘when are you gonna ask Pezza then?’  
  
  
If anything could make Louis feel better, it was when Zayn gave him his most withering stare.

 ************************************************************************************************************************************************** 

They were all gathered at Harry’s house after school to ‘study’, which probably meant that they were going to eat every single thing in his kitchen, watch a movie, and leave.  
  
  
‘Fuck Haz, your mum makes the best brownies’ Liam moaned from the floor in front of the couch.  
  
  
‘Seriously, these are fucking amazing’ Niall agreed from behind them, on the back of the couch. He had brownie crumbs smeared around his mouth.  
  
  
‘Actually,’ Harry said from where he was sitting, which was on Louis’ legs, ‘I made these.’  
  
  
Niall literally gasped and Louis said, ‘Swear to god Haz, I’m gonna marry you and your baking one day.’  
  
  
Harry held up his ring finger and wiggled it, ‘Not until you get some diamonds on this, babe.’  
  
  
‘Are you really this superficial? I thought I was enough, Harry!’  
  
  
Harry shook his head ‘Gotta follow Beyonce’s word.’  
  
  
‘I understand,’ Louis nodded sagely ‘Beyonce’s word is law’  
  
  
Harry pointed at him, a goofy grin on his face. ‘Exactly. And we’re only getting married in a church blessed by the queen herself.’  
  
  
‘Would we really have it any other way?’  
  
  
They bumped fists as Niall rolled his eyes at them, ‘Anyway, I found a date.’  
  
  
‘Nice one bro.’ Zayn reached up and high fived him.  
  
  
Louis craned his neck to look at him, ‘What? Why? How? When? _Who? ___’  
  
  
‘When I buggered off to go find a date at lunch today. Wasn’t that hard. So yeah, me and Barbara Palvin are goin’ to the dance together.’  
  
  
He leant back with a smug grin on his face as they all gaped.  
  
  
‘ _Barbara Palvin?_ ’ Liam was the first to break the silence, ‘you mean the hottest girl in our year? In the _school?_ ’  
  
  
Louis raised an eyebrow at him.  
  
  
‘Oh come off it, even Sophia knows that Palvin’s insanely fit.’  
  
  
Niall started laughing, ‘That would be the one. In fact,’ he pulled out his phone, ‘she just texted asking if I want to come over. Later lads.’  
  
  
He rolled off the back of the couch, squishing Harry and Louis in the process, and jogged to the door, throwing a ‘Have fun!’ over his shoulder as he did.  
  
  
‘Yeah I think i’m supposed to hang out with my woman tonight too. See you tomorrow lads.’ Liam stood with far more grace than Louis would ever be capable of and headed out the door too.  
  
  
And then there were three.  
  
  
‘And then there were three,’ Harry said, glancing at the other two.  
  
  
‘I was just thinking that!’ exclaimed Louis, leaning up to give Harry a high-five.  
  
  
Zayn gagged, ‘You two are gross. Can you believe that Niall managed to pull Barbara fuckin’ Palvin though?’  
  
  
‘I’m not even surprised to be honest. Niall’s always been able to get anyone he wants. Suppose it’s a confidence thing.’ Louis shook his head.  
  
  
Zayn lay back on Harry’s mum’s thick shag rug and sprawled out. ‘Something he and I don’t share, apparently.’  
  
  
Louis turned his head to Harry and rolled his eyes, making him giggle.  
  
  
‘You do realise that literally any girl in the school would fall over themselves to have a chance with you? Because it’s kind of obnoxious how obvious it is.’  
  
  
‘Yep,’ Harry agreed, ‘the amount of times I’ve had girls come and ask if I could speak to you because we’re ‘like, really good friends and stuff’’  
  
  
‘Seriously. Just ask Perrie out.’  
  
  
Zayn rolled over and buried his face in the carpet. Louis could just make out a muffled, ‘it’s not that easy Lou-ehhhhh’  
  
  
He felt a nudge in his ribs and looked at Harry questioningly. Harry rose as quietly as possible and mouthed ‘grab his phone.’  
  
  
Louis grinned as Harry crept silently behind Zayn, Louis moving quietly over to him.  
  
  
The room was suddenly filled with Zayn’s screeching as Harry landed on top of him, holding down as many limbs as he could while Louis ducked in and grabbed Zayn’s phone.  
  
  
‘What are you doing!? Give me back my phone!’ Zayn yelled, flailing uselessly as Harry put all his body weight on him, completely stopping him from moving.  
  
  
‘We’re just gonna give your situation a little nudge in the right direction Zayn, don’t worry about it’ Louis laughed as he typed in Zayn’s lock-screen key, MRVL. Nerd.  
  
  
He ignored Zayn’s yelling and grinned at Harry while he scrolled down Zayn’s contacts, finding Perrie’s name, which was followed by a lot of x’s and emojis. Rolling his eyes, Louis typed out a message.  
  
  
‘hey its zayn, i was wondering if u wanted to go see a movie with me tonight ? it can be ur pick aha :) x’  
  
  
Louis hit send and showed it to Harry.  
  
  
‘That’s perfect!’ He threw his head back and laughed.  
  
  
‘Oh my God Louis what did you say to her?’ Zayn tried craning his neck to see his phone. Louis read him the message, and Harry was almost bucked off of Zayn.  
_‘WHY?’ ___  
  
  
‘Because you weren’t gonna do anything about it yourself you tosser. Oh look, she texted back!’  
  
  
He read her message aloud, ‘’That sounds really fun!’ Ooh, she uses a space before her punctuation too, you guys are a perfect match. ‘There’s a showing of that new superhero movie at 7:30, I’ll meet you at the pictures?’ And she included a smiley face and a heart.’  
  
  
Zayn stopped moving. ‘Wait, she wants to go?’  
  
  
Harry bounced lightly on his back, ‘Seems like it. _And ___she likes superhero movies too.’  
  
  
‘Get off me, I have to...’ He trailed off and shoved Harry off his back, who just grinned.  
  
  
Zayn snatched his phone out of Louis’ hands and headed towards the door.  
  
  
‘Where are you going?’ Louis asked.  
  
  
‘Home, to get ready for my date. And neither of you fuckers are helping me. I hate you both. Bye.’ The door slammed shut behind him.  
  
  
Harry and Louis laughed madly for five minutes since whenever the laughter started to die down, they’d imitate Zayn’s panicked face and set themselves off again.  
  
  
‘Christ,’ Harry wiped his eyes, ‘I can’t believe that worked. Looks like it’s just us two left, huh?’  
  
  
Louis felt his stomach seize slightly at the thought. Even though they’d been staying over at each other’s houses since he was about ten years old, he could never help the nervousness he felt when he was alone with Harry.  
  
  
Even so, this house was pretty much his home. Anne and Gemma had practically accepted him into the family, and he still made an effort to talk to Gemma as often as possible now that she was at Uni. All three of them had taken him in when Louis’ parents were fighting, and he couldn’t cope with taking care of his younger sisters for the night.  
  
  
When Louis had come over to tell Harry that his dad had finally left, the house was warm, and so were Harry’s arms.  
  
  
When Louis finally broke the news that he was not, in fact, straight, Harry’s smile was whiter than the house’s peeling paint.  
  
  
When Louis just felt bored and came over, Harry’s green eyes would always light up more than the screen of the television they were watching when Louis told a joke. Even though Harry always found his jokes funny, Louis made sure they were the funniest things he’d ever heard.  
  
  
The same went for Harry at Louis’ house. Louis was sure his mother Jay liked Harry more than him, even though she’d never admit it.  
  
  
When Louis looked up, Harry was smiling at him widely, his dumb little dimple standing out, and Louis felt a smile pull onto his face too.  
  
  
‘Looks like it. What should we do? What time’s your mum home?’  
  
  
‘Dunno. Should we watch a movie?’  
  
  
Louis groaned, ‘What is with you and movies?’  
  
  
Louis groaned again when Harry’s face transformed into a look of offense, eyebrows raised, mouth starting to move into the inevitable lecture about why ‘film is the greatest invention of man’.  
  
  
Before Harry could start talking, Louis clapped a hand over his mouth, ‘If I have to listen to this lecture again, I will punch you in the face’  
  
  
Unsurprisingly, Harry tried licking his hand in an attempt to get Louis to remove it, but Louis just shook his head.  
  
  
‘Do you really think that would work after all the shit that i’ve walked in on? Like that time I came into your bedroom and you were on your laptop- _ow! ___’  
  
  
Harry laughed as Louis clutched his bitten hand and settled back onto the couch.  
  
  
‘Well if you don’t want to watch a movie, we could talk about the ball instead.’  
  
  
Louis groaned for the third time, ‘Do you want me to leave?’  
  
  
Harry punched him gently on the arm, ‘You know I don’t. I’m just really confused, you’re normally really soppy about this stuff, y’know?’  
  
  
Louis’ eyes drifted towards his hands. He _was ___a bit of a hopeless romantic, but it was kind of hard to be lovey-dovey if the only person you wanted to be lovey-dovey with didn’t feel the same way. He shrugged.  
  
  
‘I dunno H, I don’t have anyone to go with, and I have to take care of my sisters that night anyway...’  
  
  
Harry’s face was soft when Louis looked up, ‘Lou, I don’t know who it is you have a crush on, and I know you’ll never tell me, but that doesn’t mean you can’t come out and have a good time with me and the boys. I’m sure your mum can hire a baby-sitter for one night.’  
  
  
He doubted Harry would be this supportive if he actually knew who Louis liked. The idea sounded so fun though, laughing with his mates, getting to dress up, seeing Harry dressed up in a suit with a rose in the pocket, giving one to Louis, taking him by the hand and leading him to the dance floor…  
  
  
But _of course ___it would be just as mates. For a laugh of course. Really of course totally nothing serious.  
  
  
Louis couldn’t stand the thought of Harry dancing with somebody else.  
  
  
‘I don’t think I can, Haz.’ His voice was almost a whisper.  
  
  
He felt Harry’s arms wrap around him, ‘It’s okay Lou. I know it’s expensive to go, me and you can just watch the girls together.’  
  
  
Louis shook his head so violently that Harry almost lost his grip, ‘I’m not gonna make you lose out on this just because _I ___can’t go! You’re going to that stupid bloody dance whether you like it or not.’  
  
  
Harry hugged him a bit tighter, and then mumbled more than a little reluctantly, ‘Okay, but i’m not gonna enjoy it as much.’  
  
  
Louis laughed, ‘Well, i’d be offended if you did. It’ll be fun though, you can just chill with the lads,’ he jostled him lightly, ‘find a hot date.’ _Please don’t._  
  
  
Harry’s muffled laughter rumbled through Louis’ chest, and his stomach twisted into knots. He could smell Harry’s shampoo, his soft, curly hair brushing against Louis’ cheek as he pulled away.  
  
  
‘I wish.’ Harry sighed. ‘The only option I have would be Nick Grimshaw.’  
  
  
Completely on its own, Louis’ nose scrunched up in disgust. Nick Grimshaw was just about the sleaziest guy in the whole school, with a too-long face, and a greasy black quiff that Louis just wanted to put a match next to and see if it would actually catch. And he screwed around so much, Louis was surprised he hadn’t been killed by the abundance of STD’s he must have.  
  
  
In all fairness though, that wasn’t the reason Louis didn’t like him. He didn’t generally have a problem with people being open about their sexuality, all power to them for it.  
  
  
He just didn’t like it when they did it around Harry.  
  
  
And Louis knew exactly what he was trying to do when he would sidle in next to Harry at lunch, or approach him about this _amazing ___concert next week that Harry just had to go to. It was gross, if Louis was being completely honest.  
  
  
‘That’s it.’ Louis said, ‘I’ve made up my mind, you’re not going to the ball anymore.’  
  
  
Harry’s laughter was a little echo-y as he padded into his kitchen, ‘Don’t tell me what to do, Lou!’  
  
  
Louis bent his knees into an awful gangster pose from where he was dutifully following Harry, popping a west-side, ‘Sick rhymes, yo.’  
  
  
There was a snort coming from the depths of the fridge where the other boy’s head was buried. ‘What do you want to eat, then?’

 ************************************************************************************************************************************************** 

The next week was a sick torture to Louis. The school’s hallways were cluttered with banners and flyers, tentative proposals, don’t-drive-drunk PSA’s and new-relationship-drunk PDA’s. Someone had put glitter inside a locker as an invitation, and now there was glitter _everywhere_. Girls clustered in corners giggling, and boys looked on absolutely flummoxed as to how the hell they were supposed to approach one of them. About ten different girls had asked Louis out this day alone, and honestly, how had nobody heard that definitively does _not_ play for that side?  
  
  
If he had to hear one more ungodly shriek of ‘I can’t believe he asked me!’, he was going to slam his head into the nearest wall and hope the paramedics were cute.  
  
  
Niall, Zayn, and Liam were no help, now that they’d found someone although he had to admit, the couplings were cute. Liam and Sophia were reasonably calm, except for the whole holding hands, mushy face kissing stuff. Zayn and Perrie looked like a match made in heaven, both gorgeous broody hipsters that were stuffing carrots up their noses and laughing themselves to tears.  
  
  
Niall and Barbara were pretty cute too, when they weren’t cramming their tongues down each others throats. So really, Louis had no choice but to stick to Harry’s side.  
  
  
Which, while marginally nicer, was still a sick torture to Louis. Harry spent most of his time fawning over the couples in the hallway, and trying to convince Louis to go.  
  
  
All of them were sat underneath the huge oak down at the back of the football field where the boys usually hung out. Louis was sorely tempted to put a ‘No Girls Allowed’ sign up on the tree just to stop the ridiculous displays of affection going on around him. Not that he was bitter or anything.  
  
  
‘I’m gonna tell you one more time Styles, I’m not fucking going.’ Louis swatted Harry’s finger away from where it was poking him in the cheek, seemingly trying to make a dimple identical to Harry’s own.  
  
  
‘But Looooooou, it’s gonna be so fuuuuuun.’ Harry whinged. The rest of the group started chiming in too.  
  
  
‘Yeah Louis, it’s gonna be sick!’  
  
  
‘You don’t need to have a date to have a good time!’  
  
  
‘It won’t be the same if you’re not there!’  
  
  
‘Guys! And girls too, I guess. I literally can’t go. Mum’s working a late shift tonight, I’ve got to take care of _all four_ of my younger sisters. Remember them? Now if you would kindly _stop asking me to come?_ I can’t. Fucking. Go.’  
  
  
Alright, so maybe Louis was being a bit harsh, but he wasn’t lying. Much.  
  
  
An awkward silence drifted over the group until Liam finally spoke. Always the ice breaker, that one.  
  
  
‘Sorry Lou. You know we just want you there, we don’t mean to pressure you or anything.’  
  
  
Louis rubbed his face and glanced back up at the group, all of which were watching him a little apprehensively. Except for Zayn, whose eyes were full of pity again, and Louis knew exactly why.  
  
  
Fuck Zayn, honestly.  
  
  
‘No, it’s cool. Just a bit tired is all.’ He shrugged gently, but the tension wasn’t entirely lifted.  
  
  
The sharp ringing of the bell cut off whatever Liam was going to say, and Louis thanked God for small miracles.  
  
  
Everyone shouldered their bags and made their way down the grassy field towards their separate classes. As all the couples hugged goodbye, Louis was taken off guard when he felt Harry hugging him as well.  
  
  
‘Sorry about before, and sorry for you not being able to go tonight. I’ll save some dances for you if you can make it.’ Harry mumbled into Louis’s shoulder and, God, he had to lean down slightly to hug Louis.  
  
  
The butterflies in his stomach could piss right of as he stretched a little bit onto his tip-toes and squeezed Harry tight before letting him go.  
  
  
Louis took a step back and grinned at him, ‘I’ll be fine Haz, just make sure that Niall doesn’t try to spike the drinks.’  
  
  
Harry snorted, ‘No way in hell he’s gonna try that on Liam and Sophia’s big night.’  
  
  
‘You know he will, though.’ The crowd in the hallway was beginning to thin out, and Louis made a step towards the door of his English classroom. ‘Have fun tonight, and i’ll see you tomorrow.’  
  
  
Harry nodded, backing away towards his classroom at the opposite end of the hall. ‘I’ll try my best. Bye Lou!’  
  
  
And then he was gone, and Louis was left to suffer through English alone.


	2. Chapter 2

The path to Louis’ front doorstep reminded him of his childhood. He remembered the times that he would play hopscotch on the rocky tiles, each one just big enough to land on one foot on, hoping he didn’t miss and land in the patches of grass between them. Or when he grazed his knees on the gravel-y slabs when he tried running down the path on rainy days, slipping in the mud, or when he would sit with his younger sister Lottie and pull the weeds out from between the cracks, running their fingers along the fresh dirt.

 

He remembered that time he got a little too mad when practicing with his football, and somehow managed to crack one of the corners of the stones and he hid in his bedroom for two hours, hoping his mum wouldn’t be too angry at him.

 

Evidently, she never found out.

 

It was slightly overcrowded with grass that the lawnmower couldn’t reach, the steps seeming to get smaller every time he walked towards the house. He didn’t know if that was the yard growing over, or if he was growing up.

 

He opened the creaky front door, calling out a ‘Hi Mum! Hi sisters!’ towards the kitchen as he jogged upstairs to his bedroom. He really needed to finish this essay before he took care of girls otherwise he wouldn’t have any-

 

There was a freshly ironed suit and a ticket to the ball lying on his bed.

 

After quickly checking for the cameras to see if he was being Punk’d, _(is that show even around anymore? What happened to Ashton Kutcher?_ ), he turned to go back downstairs and ask what the fuck was going on when his mother standing in the doorway stopped him in his tracks.

 

‘What?’ was all he could manage.

 

‘Well,’ she started, moving towards the bed to perch on the edge, ‘Since you conveniently decided to not tell me about the ball, I figured I’d surprise you!’

 

‘Mum, look, thank you, but I don’t want to-’

 

She held up a hand, ‘Louis, you are going to this ball. I’ve taken the night off work, everything’s already been paid for so I can’t get the money back, and I am not letting you miss this because of a bloody crush. I had to miss my ball, I’m not letting my eldest miss theirs too.’

 

A wave of guilt washed over Louis as he realised that he had been the reason she was unable to go to the ball. Like, he knew he shouldn’t blame himself for being _conceived_ but-

 

Wait. Crush?

 

‘A crush?’ he asked.

 

‘Oh, don’t try and pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about. You’ve been daft over that boy ever since you met him.’

 

Louis probably looked like he was half fish as he kept opening and closing his mouth to start a sentence.

 

His mum started giggling, turning into full blown laughter as his cheeks reddened and he started making an odd high pitched sort of whine that was meant to be some sort of defense.

 

She stood up and patted his cheeks, ‘Sweetheart, you can’t hide anything from me. I see all.’ She then stared very, _very_ pointedly at Louis’ draw where he kept his lube and condoms, and honestly, only dogs could hear him at this point.

 

Jay smiled from the doorway, ‘Do your homework dear, and make sure you’re ready to go by 8 o’clock. Oh, and make sure you call Harry an idiot for not having taken you himself.’

 

Louis couldn’t feel his feet, all his blood was in his cheeks.

  
  


**************************************************************************************************************************************************

  
  


He thought he looked like a bit of a dick, standing outside the entrance to the hotel that the ball was taking place in this year.

 

His hair was brushed up into a quiff in a way that he knew made his cheekbones look amazing, and his suit fit surprisingly well for something his mum must have bought last minute without him even _being there_. She’d made some jokes about having taken his measurements in his sleep and he wasn’t quite sure if she was joking anymore.

 

But God, was it embarrassing having to walk downstairs and have his mum shriek and clap and demand pictures and _oh love you look absolutely gorgeous_ , while Lottie and Fizzy laughed their asses off as she kissed him on the cheeks.

 

It wasn’t even that bad in comparison to the car ride here though, when his mum had spent the whole half hour discussing safe sex, and how even though she was supportive of their relationship, she didn’t want them to be having sex just yet, while Louis tried to convince her that he and Harry _weren’t dating_.

He wasn’t really one to talk though, as he waited outside the doors to the ballroom trying to gather his confidence, the note in his pocket feeling heavy and dumb, and he couldn’t believe he was going to use a Taylor Swift video as inspiration to confessing his love, but he and Harry had made jokes about it once and, well.

 

That was it, wasn’t it. Harry.

 

Squaring his shoulders, he pushed open the doors to the ballroom, taking in the grandeur of the high ceiling, the polished marble floors, the intricate decorations, and rolled his eyes.

 

So they really had gone with the Winter Wonderland theme after all.

 

Strung along the the rafters were fairy lights, bathing the students below them in a soft glow. Ivy was wrapped around the support beams on the outskirts of the room, and fake pine trees were nestled in corners covered in fake snow. Fog shrouded the floor, hiding the shoes of the girls who had spent painstaking amounts of time picking them, and thrown almost haphazardly on every available surface were little paper snowflakes.

 

His collar felt too tight around his neck and he could feel himself sweating as he stood awkwardly along the edges of the floor, his eyes scanning for lanky limbs and thick, ridiculous curls.

 

This whole scheme was starting to feel more and more stupid as he scanned the room for a third time. For all he knew, Harry had gone home by now. Louis had shown up about three hours into the fucking thing because he’d wanted to make a grand entrance, which wasn’t really working since Harry was nowhere to be found. He was standing here like an absolute plonker, a ‘You Belong With Me’ inspired note on the inside pocket of his jacket, none of his friends even knowing he was here, and _God, why does he even bother?_

 

‘Oi!’ he heard from behind him, and just barely avoided being bowled over by Niall pouncing on Louis excitedly, Zayn, Perrie, and Barbara trailing behind him.

 

‘What the fuck are you doing here?!’ Niall exclaimed, throwing an arm around his shoulders.

 

Louis laughed, ‘Oh, you know, just came to see the shitty Frozen remake,’ he looked pointedly around the room, ‘Looking pretty terrible.’

 

Zayn had walked up to them, and hip-checked Louis as he stood beside him, ‘Hey, this was your idea.’

 

He wasn’t wrong. The Senior Events Committee had spent hours trying to pick a theme when Louis had tossed his hands up in the air and said, ‘Why don’t we just go with fuckin’ Winter Wonderland? That hasn’t been done to death at all.’ Somehow, everyone in the room had either ignored or not noticed his sarcasm, and it had ended up happening.

 

‘True.’ Louis laughed again and turned his head to look at Zayn.

 

Zayn was giving him that look again and Louis knew exactly what he was thinking. Of course Zayn knew what was going on, Louis had certainly never been subtle about his affections for Harry. He just… he didn’t need this in his life right now. He’d much rather make a tit out of himself in private, thank you very much. He didn’t need the others knowing what was happening.

 

Louis looked away quickly, ‘So where’s Liam and Harry?’

 

‘Oh,’ Niall shrugged, ‘Dunno. I think Liam and Sophia are kissing people’s arses to get votes, but last I saw Harry he was dancing like a fuckin’ maniac.’

 

Louis couldn’t stop himself from smiling at the image, ‘Ah, alright then. I’m gonna head to the loo then, go dance with your girls.’

 

‘Catch ya on the flip side, bro’ Niall thumped his chest twice and held out a peace sign. Zayn was still silently watching him. Louis rolled his eyes at Niall and scurried away from Zayn’s worrisome gaze.

 

When he walked into the bathroom, the first thing he did was check how he looked in the mirror. His eyes were wide and sort of scary, his quiff wilting slightly from running his hand through it incessantly. He splashed his face with cold water and shaky hands, then ducked into the stall to blow his nose with toilet paper.

 

The door to the bathroom slammed open, and the sound of frantic kissing reached his ears. He was tempted to hide in the stall for a little bit to wait out the horny lovebirds, but by the sound of it, they were going to take a while.

 

Peeking his head around the stall wall, he could see the back of Nick Grimshaw’s head his body covering the person he had pressed against the door, and felt his upper lip raise. Of course Nick Grimshaw would be making out with someone in a toilet. How classy.

 

He stepped out of the stall and cleared his throat loudly to get Nick and mystery man’s attention. ‘D’you mind?’ he asked, cocking his hip.

 

‘Louis?’ the mystery man asked, craning his head around Nick’s.

 

Green eyes met his own and he could feel his heart try to crawl out of his throat when he took in Harry’s bitten red lips and mussed hair, body pressed against Nick’s.

 

Louis could feel the heat rising in his cheeks. ‘Shit,’ he whispered, his voice cracking. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands, hoping he looked angry and uncomfortable, rather than trying to force back the tears stinging his eyes.

 

He swallowed around the lump in his throat as Harry started pushing Nick out of the way, babbling about how he didn’t know Louis was coming, while Nick smirked with his arms crossed against his chest, leaning on the wall.

 

‘D’you mind just getting out of the way?’ he tried to smile a bit, ‘I don’t need to see this.’

 

Harry practically leapt out of the doorway, knocking Nick away in the process.

 

‘Lou, wait!’ Harry called as Louis strode quickly away from them into the hall.

 

He ignored Harry, clenching his fists as he charged towards the door. He was not going to cry.

 

He was, however, blocked from exiting by Liam.

 

‘Lou, mate, where’re you going? You just got here!’

 

Louis raised a hand over his mouth, ‘Stomach bug,’ he growled.

 

He thanked God that it was Liam who stopped him, because Zayn would not have believed him for a second. Liam took a step back, ‘Shit, you sound sick.’ He rubbed Louis on the back a bit. ‘I’ll tell the lads where you’ve gone. Need a ride?’

 

Louis shook his head vigorously and walked out before Liam tried to help him any more.

 

The cold air stung his cheeks as he walked towards the curb, pulling out his phone to call his mum. He was crying now, sobs forcing their way out of his throat as tears wet his cheeks.

 

He wasn’t expecting it to happen like this. He’d never planned on Harry actually taking up Nick on one of his offers, and even if Harry hadn’t, what was he going to do if Harry told him he didn’t like him anyway?

 

He tore the note out of his pocket and ripped it into tiny pieces, throwing them onto the ground. He was going to pretend he was upset with Harry because he’d made out with Nick, and continue to be best friends with him as though he hadn’t just unwittingly shattered Louis’ heart.

 

It wouldn’t be so bad, would it? He’d move on eventually, he just needed to avoid Harry for a little bit now. He didn’t think he could cope with a conversation with him just yet.

 

He dialled his mum’s number and waited.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************

 

Louis wasn’t getting out of bed. His mother knew that. Zayn knew that. Harry did not know that.

 

He’d cried on his mother’s shoulder all of Friday night as she’d rubbed his back and made him tea and told him that things were going to work out in the end. His sisters had come in to investigate, and he’d ended up at the middle of a Tomlinson family hug.

 

On Saturday he was feeling marginally better. He ignored the texts that turned from mild concern over his ‘stomach bug’ to panicked confusion as they heard what had happened from Harry. He watched Game of Thrones, drank hot chocolate, and pretended that he didn’t wish for someone else to be in bed with him.

 

Zayn came over on Sunday. That was when he finally cracked. He ugly cried all over Zayn as he told him what he was sure Zayn already knew, that he was in love with Harry. He told him about his plans to tell Harry, and the note he had in his pocket, and what happened in the bathroom. Zayn stayed with him the whole afternoon as they watched Marvel movies and talked about Perrie (they’re planning on making it official) and Liam and Sophia (they of course won best couple) and Niall and Barbara (who apparently booked a room at the hotel for the whole weekend and Zayn was kind of disgusted) and skirted so obviously around the subject of Harry that it kind of ruined the whole point. But Zayn was trying, and by Sunday night when Zayn had gone home, Louis was feeling a lot better.

 

Not better enough to go to school, however. If there was ever an excuse to not go to school, he felt like his first heartbreak was it.

 

Harry texted him a few times over the weekend to check up on him, but Louis hadn’t replied. He hated making Harry feel bad, but if he replied, he knew Harry would just call him, and that wouldn’t end well.

 

He caved and replied to him this morning however, just to make sure Harry didn’t think he was dead.

 

_Harry: Heard you aren’t coming to school. You okay?_

_Louis: yeah i just feel sick :(_

_Harry: Feel better soon :) x_

Louis tried to ignore the splitting pain in his heart and turned on Game of Thrones.

 

The doorbell rang a few hours later, and Louis was forced to walk downstairs, his blanket wrapped around his shoulders like a cloak. Winter was coming, and he was cold. He also may have watched a tad too much Game of Thrones.

 

Louis grumbled as he padded to the front door, because honestly its like 4 in the afternoon, there shouldn’t really be anything that pressing that would require him to move. He grabbed the doorknob and pulled it open, and standing there in a thick pilot’s jacket holding a box of Louis’ favourite tea was Harry.

 

He felt like the wind was knocked out of him, Harry looked so pretty. His cheeks were flushed pink from the cold outside, a tentative smile on his face as he edged into the doorway.

 

Louis had half a mind to turn him away at the door and deal with this next week. He knew exactly what Harry was here to talk about, and the subject was still sore, his heart feeling like it had just completed a marathon without stretching first, and every time he thought about Harry, it ached again.

 

But he was a good host, and Harry didn’t deserve his best friend not speaking to him for trying to have a good time at a ball Louis wasn’t even going to go to. Louis was going to be perfectly normal to him, thank you very much.

 

‘Haz! Hey, what are you doing here?’ he exclaimed, gesturing for Harry to come inside.

 

Harry scratched the back of his neck, ‘Yeah, I, uh, came here to talk about friday night. But how are you? You sound better.’

 

Louis coughed into the back of his hand. Slick cover up. ‘Yeah, I slept pretty much the whole weekend and today. I’m feeling good now.’

 

‘That’s good,’ Harry smiled at him warmly, as if Harry didn’t do everything warmly. ‘Figured I’d check up on you.’

 

His smile began to wane and he coughed into his fist, ‘Are we… are we okay? I mean, after friday ‘n everything, I dunno what’s happened.’

 

There it was. Should he just make up an excuse and wait until Harry decides Louis is over it and stops prying? Or should he just tell him the truth?

 

He loved the pigeon-toed idiot. Louis knew that for sure. He didn’t know what Harry’s reaction would be if he told him that though.

 

Fuck it. Fuck it all. He was going to tear himself to pieces if he never told Harry, falling at the seams every time Harry kissed lips that weren’t Louis’ own, placed tender touches to someone else’s skin. At least if he told him now, there was at least a possibility of being let down easy, rather having his heart broken right here instead of having it break every day that Harry didn’t know and made comments about the cute boy in his english class. This way, he could avoid Harry for a reason.

 

He willed himself to take a deep breath, ‘Look, Haz… I was jealous, okay? I saw him kissing you and I just, I felt like my heart was throwing up, if that even makes sense. I had to get out of there. I couldn’t stand seeing either of you at school, and I’m so sorry. If you want to be with him, that’s fine, I’ll try my best to get over it. If you don’t want to be friends with me anymore, that’s fine.’

 

Silence crept in between them, the rush of his words seeming unnecessary.

 

He felt his heart drop from where it had been in his throat to the floor as he watched Harry’s expression falter, attempting to hide the disgust, or was it pity? Then he suddenly brightened, his smile forced as he began to speak,’So that’s who the crush as been. C’mon, we’re going to Coffee Bomb.’

 

What the fuck?

 

‘Wait, we’re not going to talk about this? After I just confessed my crush on-’

 

Harry grabbed his hand and started tugging Louis to the door, interrupting him, ‘Shh, we’ll talk when we’re there. I was hoping you’d say something like this.’

 

So… what? Why couldn’t they talk about it here?

 

‘Why can’t we talk about it here?’

 

Harry forced his smile to be even larger, seeming more forced than before. _‘Because.’_

 

Jesus christ, what was he doing? ‘Fine, fuck, just let me put on some shoes.’

 

**************************************************************************************************************************************************

 

The Coffee Bomb was, unsurprisingly, a coffee shop, about a ten minute walk from Louis’ house, and just close enough to the school that it was constantly flocked with students.

 

It was cozy, the air always smelling rich and warm, and the prices were surprisingly reasonable. Louis didn’t come here all the often since he preferred to just go home after school, never bothering to spend his pocket money on something he could make at home. He had to admit that it was a nice place though.

Harry was still holding his hand as he pulled him inside the coffee shop, Louis’ heart doing that weird fluttery thing. He’d given up on asking what the hell Harry was doing, so he just waited mildly patiently, refraining from sighing too often.

 

Harry was on his tip-toes, craning his head over the crowd in the shop, towering over practically everyone there and looking for god knows what.

 

Evidently, he found what he was looking for, and dragged Louis to a table in the corner, where Nick Grimshaw was sitting, cradling a cup of tea.

 

Louis ripped his hand from Harry’s, ‘What the fuck is this? Is this a joke?’

 

Nick smirked a bit as Harry’s face quickly turned to confusion, and Louis was angered even more.

 

‘Okay, like, I fucking get it if you wanted to date him or whatever, but this is just fucking mean. You do not get to rub this shit in my face. You even had this planned and had him waiting here! I thought we were friends, you fucking asshole.’

 

Nick shrugged, ‘I told him.’

 

Harry was floundering, and Louis had no clue why. He brought Louis here just to fucking show him that he was going to date Nick now? How long had he known that Louis liked him, to be able to have this planned? What did he expect to happen when Louis got here? For him to just instantly fall out of love with him or something?

 

His heart was hurting again, and it felt as though it wouldn’t stop. Rage flooded through him, not listening when Harry called out to him and he stormed out of the coffee shop. He was reminded of Friday, and god, he was just going in circles, wasn’t he?

 

He felt that ache settle into his bones again, and he felt like an old man, his hands shaking, knees wobbling, lips trembling.

 

Harry wasn’t following with him, maybe he was too busy making out with Nick to care about Louis. He couldn’t believe it.

 

His pulse was in his ears, reminding him that his heart was still beating, and he wanted it to stop, wanted everything to stop moving so he could catch his breath and wait until the pain disappeared and he hoped that the cars on the road would just get rid of that _fucking pulse._

 

The buzzing of his phone made him jump, and hey, at least Harry was showing some sort of decency here. He slid his phone out of his back pocket and stared at his lock-screen, a picture that Niall had taken of he and Harry clutching onto each others shoulders as they laughed themselves to tears, and the text notifications kept popping up, and he turned off his phone.

 

**************************************************************************************************************************************************

 

His mum let him stay off school again the next day, demanding that he go in on Wednesday then. Her eyes were soft when she said it, however, and Louis knew that she hated seeing him with a broken heart almost as much as he hated feeling it.

 

He didn’t bother turning his phone back on, knowing that his friends would show up on his doorstep eventually if he continued to ignore them. They would most likely know by now anyway, either Nick or Harry spreading the news. Maybe they were laughing about him right now.

 

He wanted to punch Nick in the fucking face for being such a bloody twat, and he wanted to scream at Harry until his throat was raw and he wanted to kiss him until his lips were numb.

 

The day moved oddly, his thoughts swirling and time stuttering oddly, first it was 9 and school just started and then suddenly it was 11 and they would just be going on break, and, jesus it’s only 11:30, they would have just finished interval by now, and, shit it’s already 2, he would have been in english at this time, and oh, it would have been home time now.

 

His sisters weren’t due home anytime soon as Daisy and Phoebe had football, Fizzie had a study group, and Lottie was rehearsing for the school’s productions. His mum was working late tonight too, and Louis sat on the couch like he’d been doing the whole day and watched as the sun went down.

 

The shitty electronic version of ‘Ode to Joy’ that was his home phone’s ringtone caused Louis to jolt. People rarely ever called the home phone, except for telemarketers, but sometimes it was important, so.

 

He shuffled towards the kitchen and picked up the receiver, ‘Hello?’

 

‘Louis!’ Harry chimed from the other end.

 

He almost dropped the phone in shock, except he really should have been expecting this.

 

‘Harry,’ he choked out, his voice meaning to sound less overwhelmed and more blood-boiling angry.

 

‘Louis,’ Harry breathed, ‘I’m so sorry. I really don’t know what I did to hurt you so much, but i’m going to make it up to you, I swear.’

 

‘You don’t know what you did? You fucking dragged me to the coffee shop to show off your newfound happy fucking relationship with Nick Grimshaw who you know I barely even liked in the first place, and you don’t know why I’m angry?’

 

‘Oh my God! No! Lou, you told me you had a crush on him, I was bringing you there to set you up with him!’

 

Louis was going to brain himself on the kitchen counter after how hard his knees buckled. He really was an old man.

 

Harry thought that he was in love with _Nick?_ When Louis clearly showed his distaste every time Nick was around by mocking him relentlessly, and telling Harry that he’d been jealous when he saw Harry kissing him, and oh no, Harry thought he was in love with Nick.

 

‘Harry,’ he half-whispered, ‘I’m not in love with Nick.’

 

He could practically hear the exclamation mark over Harry’s head as the conversation paused.

 

‘But… But you said you were jealous! And you’re always flirting with him whenever he comes to talk to me!’

 

‘I was mocking him! I thought it was pretty clear!’

 

‘Well you never talk to me like that! You’re mean to everyone else, I assume you’re just flirting with everyone! I’m sorry I took you to the coffee shop, but you didn’t have to stay home from school just because you’re not particularly fond of Nick Grimshaw’

 

‘That’s not why I stayed home! It’s because _you_ broke my fucking heart when I made it pretty clear that I’m in love with you!’

 

There was a muffled gasp, a crash, and the phone line disconnected.

 

Welp.

 

Louis sank to the floor, wrapped his arms around his knees, and tried not to be sick. Harry had hung up on him. He was so opposed to the idea of dating Louis that he thought he was in love with Nick.

 

He didn’t know how long he sat like that, rethinking the conversation, thinking of all the ways that could have gone better, or not have happened at all. He could have hung up on him. He could have just gone to fucking school today and have Zayn tell him what the situation really was instead of this stupid misunderstanding.

 

Cold waves washed over him again and again as he thought about Harry pressed up against that wall, about the fact that Harry was probably going to end up with Nick now that Louis wasn’t in the way. Maybe he dropped the phone just so he could go talk to Nick instead.

 

Louis didn’t want to think about this. He fucked it up. If he was ever going t-

 

A loud knock on the front door jolted him, and he stood quickly, wiping under his eyes to get rid of any stray tears. God he hoped it wasn’t any of the lads, if they ever saw him like this…

 

Louis swung open the door and wet lips were pressed against his as he was pedalled backwards.

 

Harry kissed him fervently, his lips cold against Louis from the rain. He pushed Louis against the wall in the entryway, one hand on Louis’s cheek, the other gripping his neck.

 

It took Louis a while to respond, because, what?

 

So Harry didn’t hang up on him. And he had sprinted over here in the pouring rain to kiss Louis, and Louis’ head was swimming with the closeness of Harry, the softness of his lips.

 

He smelled like honey and he tasted like those stupid bloody popsicles that he ate even in winter.

 

Louis gripped his hands in Harry’s hair, pulling him closer, feeling Harry’s lips warm up against his own.

 

If this was how Louis died, he would be completely okay with this.

 

But he didn’t, and eventually Harry pulled away, ignoring Louis’ noise of protest, and he pressed his face in the crook of Louis’ neck, placing gentle kisses on Louis’ collarbone, and okay, if he didn’t die before, he would now.

 

‘You’re a fucking idiot,’ Harry mumbled against Louis’ flushed skin, ‘but so am I.’

 

‘So what’s all this then?’ Louis asked breathlessly, his fingers running through the wet strands of Harry’s hair.

 

‘I’m in love with you too, Lou.’ Harry pulled away to look Louis in the eyes, and his heart was back in his throat again in the best way possible.

 

‘And I-I thought that you loved me too, but like, as a friend, and so when we’d hang out I’d try to drop hints and stuff but you’d just sort of brush over them so I like assumed that you didn’t like me either and you always had that weird thing with Nick and when you said you were jealous I just thought-’ Louis had never heard Harry talk this fast before, and if he didn’t take a break soon he was probably gonna pass out, so Louis just kissed him again, softly.

 

Harry ‘mmph’ed, and Louis giggled, pulling away, ‘Why would you think I like Nick?’

 

‘Because he was always coming up to sit with us, and I thought you guys had a flirty frienenemy thing going on or something. I was just jealous, I don’t know.’ His voice pulled on the end of his words, his lips pink and puffy and shiny, seemingly taking a lot of effort to form words. Harry was slightly petulant as he said it, making Louis grin, rubbing his thumb over Harry’s lower lip.

 

‘You do realise he was flirting with you, yeah? That’s why he kept inviting you to things.’ Louis was smug, chest swelling slightly as he spoke. Harry loved _him_ , not Nick. He couldn’t even feel bitter about all the unabashed flirting he’d had to sit through, or that whole thing in the bathroom. He was just so happy.

 

‘You’re probably going to have to like, let him down gently or something. Or harshly. I don’t care.’

 

Harry laughed, ‘He’s not that bad, he was actually the one to say I should invite you to the cafe. Think he knew what was going on and that we’d both be too daft to figure it out on our own.’

 

Louis didn’t really care, to be honest, he just wanted to kiss Harry until his lips fell off. When he said as much, Harry grabbed him by the ass, pulling him flush against him again, lips pressing to Louis’, slow but heated.

 

‘I’ve been wanting this,’ Louis said, kissing along his jawline, ‘for so fucking long.’

 

‘Yeah?’

 

‘Yeah.’ Louis kissed him on the mouth again, fingers tangling in Harry’s hair.

 

Suddenly, they jolted apart as the front door opened, his mother smirking in the doorway.

 

‘Took you long enough.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for this taking two months to update???? I've had non-stop production and exams, so i'm really sorry!! But yay! I finished! I hope it's not awful!
> 
> Thank you for reading, you can follow me on tumblr: http://larry-mornings.tumblr.com/
> 
> Please leave comments or kudos, it would mean the world to me!

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first fic! I'll try to update as soon as possible. Also, I started writing this before the whole Zayn thing went down, so if you're a bit angry with him and/or Perrie, then just know that I am too, I just couldn't be bothered editing the story in my head. I also couldn't think of anyone to pair Niall with, so he can have Barbara.  
> Follow me on tumblr! http://larry-mornings.tumblr.com/  
> I'll answer any asks you guys have!  
> Leave any criticism you have in the comments, I would welcome anything you guys have to say!


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